Inspired by the Japanese belly warmers known as haramaki, the concept behind Makiko is that keeping vital organs covered will warm the entire body.

Makiko is a versatile wonder that eradicates the ungainly bulkiness of winter layers. The compact piece can function as a trim layer under the suit jacket, a double layered cowl or hood with neck-hugging ribbing to block any drafts.

The stitch patterns are completely reversible, and in the case of Metamorphosis Stitch, wildly different on the right and wrong side. One side has the delicate look of a butterfly, while the opposite resembles organic pods.

Both are worked with a double strand of HiKoo Kenzie, a soft and lightweight blend of wool, alpaca, silk, angora and nylon, which lends a high degree of curve hugging memory.

The 1x1 ribbing can nearly double in circumference to fit snugly under your bust or at the waist, so choose a size that is roughly half of this measurement. This ribbing will also fit comfortably around your neck to block any cold drafts when you wear the haramaki as a cowl.

Note: Row gauge is difficult to measure due to the nature of this welted stitch; matching it is not essential for this pattern, though note amount of yarn used may vary if gauge is not met)

PATTERN NOTES[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

1x1 Ribbing (multiple of 2 sts):Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * to end of rnd.
Rep this rnd for pattern.

Metamorphosis Stitch (multiple of 3 sts):Rnds 1-5: *K1, p2; rep from* to end of rnd.Rnd 6: *Drop 1st stitch from LH needle and drop it down, unravelling 4 rows so there are 4 strands behind the original stitch. Insert RH needle from the front into the loop of the dropped stitch and under the 4 strands. Knit the stitch, trapping the 4 loose strands. Purl next 2 sts. Rep from * to end of rnd.
Rep these 6 rnds for pattern.

Cirilia Rose is the Creative Director at Skacel Collection Inc. When she isn't writing, designing or teaching, she spends her time making messes in the kitchen, exploring her fabulously nerd-friendly city and visiting far-flung friends.

She blogs here. See more of Cirilia's work and get one-on-one instruction at Creativebug.